Page 54 of Christmas Promises

Nolan shrugged, feeling slightly embarrassed. The Hayes family didn’t do anything quietly and often all together. “That’s how we roll. The Hayes family sticks together, no matter what.”

The minutes ticked by, one after the other. Nolan prayed silently through every one of them.

Edna came running in, out of breath. “Is there any news?”

“She’s in surgery,” Tucker said, embracing his sister-in-law. “So we’re just waiting to hear from the doctors.”

Edna hugged Penelope. “I’m so sorry.”

“I knew she shouldn’t come here,” Penelope said. “Nothing good could come of it.”

Ignoring her sister’s comment, Edna eased into a chair. “How’s the cab driver?”

No one had thought about him, Nolan realized with a guilty jolt.

“We don’t know,” Penelope said. “Right now, we’re too worried about Laney to care about the man who nearly killed her.”

“The roads can be slippery,” Edna said. “Black ice is common around here.”

“Then he shouldn’t have been driving a cab,” Penelope said, sharply.

Just then a doctor in scrubs stepped into the room, a clipboard in hand. Nolan shot to his feet, his heart pounding in his chest as the others followed suit.

“Are you all here for Laney Gray?” The doctor’s gaze traveled the room.

“Yes.” Nolan stepped forward, his legs shaking. “Is she okay?”

“Who here are relations of Ms. Gray?”

“Us. We’re her parents.” Tucker and Penelope both rose to their feet. “Please tell us if she’s all right.”

The doctor offered a small, reassuring smile. “She’s stable now. Laney sustained blunt abdominal trauma in the accident, which caused her spleen to rupture. We had to perform emergency surgery to remove it.”

Nolan’s chest tightened. “What does that mean?”

“It means she’s going to be fine. The spleen isn’t essential for survival, though it does play a role in the immune system. We’ll monitor her closely for signs of infection, but most patients recover fully with no long-term effects.”

Penelope exhaled sharply, her hand fluttering to her chest. “And the surgery? No complications?”

“No complications. She did well. She’s young and healthy, which helps. She’s still in recovery and will remain there until she wakes up. Once she’s stable, we’ll move her to a room, and you can visit her—two at a time.” The doctor’s gaze swept the lot of them, standing around like kids at a schoolyard waiting for instructions from a teacher.

“How long will that be?” Nolan asked.

“Recovery can take about an hour. A nurse will come find you when she’s ready to receive visitors.”

“Thank you.” Tucker’s voice cracked as he shook the doctor’s hand. “We appreciate everything you’ve done for our daughter.”

Penelope murmured her gratitude as well, but Nolan was too overcome to speak.

“She’s going to be back to normal in no time.” Max wrapped an arm around Nolan’s shoulders. “It’s all going to be okay.”

Nolan nodded, but his gaze stayed fixed on the door. All he wanted was to see her, hold her in his arms.

What if she didn’t want to see him? Maybe her mother had convinced her to come home.

He ached to be with Laney. At the same time, he feared what he would learn once he did.

Nolan’s familyleft after the good news about Laney, leaving him alone with Tucker, Penelope, and Edna in the waiting room. He offered to get snacks and something to drink, but no one wanted anything. For something to do and to escape the awkwardness, he wandered out into the hallway, walking aimlessly until he found a vending machine. He bought a diet soda for himself, taking a few deep breaths before returning to sit with Laney’s parents.

---